In today’s PT Intel, we have holistic living mentor Adita Lang, NASM – CEC, CHEK Lv3 HLC, dropping by to share some nutritional advice. You can find her online here, and alternatively you can find her on Facebook as well.
As human beings we can sure get convoluted about so many things. And yet when it comes to our own bodies we create even more complexities. This is YOUR body, YOU should know it intimately, but for so many reasons we just can’t seem to find that magic potion to keep it fit, lean, healthy, energized, happy, and everything else in between.
Funny enough, our body is the simplest thing to take care of, we just have to listen. Our body is intrinsically designed to be healthy, lean, strong, and energized, but as any fine piece of machinery, it’s all about how we take care of it.
Nourishment is what gives us energy, keeps our immune system strong, and keeps us lean, so why is it that we tend to shortchange ourselves? Muscles need a synergistic combination of just the right nutrients to grow. We start on a healthy path and then veer off with the premise that “we deserve it”. Okay, I guess I can see it, if you feel that you deserve to be overweight, sluggish, and unmotivated. Now, on the other hand, if that’s not what you want, then fuel your body accordingly and reprogram your mind to feel gratification with sliced apple, raw almond butter, and a drizzle of raw honey on it. “I saw that smirk; you can choose your own treat, but make it something that will empower your body as opposed to breaking it down.”
Our body needs fuel. “Now read this again, I said fuel – not comfort food or such.” Fuel should be packed with naturally occurring nutrients, enzymes, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Our planet gives this to us in the form of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and high quality proteins and fats.
Processed foods might taste yummy but unfortunately they provide nothing in return. The most organic, multi-grain piece of bread, is still a piece of bread and during the manufacturing phase it looses all of its wonderful enzymes and nutrients, then a chemist comes back in and synthetically adds some nutrients back. Enzymes are your bodies Chief Operating Officer; they are the ones who tell your body what to keep and what to get rid of, without them we would store all our foods as fat, ugh! Enzyme rich foods are raw and fresh; anything cooked or processed is missing out.
So, let’s get lean – Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, quality proteins, clean water, and quality fats. For those moments when you feel you deserve the chips or cake, think twice – Are you at your physical goal? How have you eaten so far on this day? Week? Are you really hungry or are you doing it because everyone else is? I don’t know about you but I love how I feel every day. The few times that I eat too many processed foods, I feel heavy, lazy, and just unmotivated. Alcohol does the same thing. So I have made the conscious choice to choose my treats and eat them in a manner that still provides my body with unlimited amounts of nutrients and enzymes and this is what keeps us lean without counting calories!
